1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to garments and more specifically to garments that are beneficial to patients with catheter implants or the like.
2. Description of Related Art
Reference is made to the following United States Letters Patent:
U.S. Pat. No. 4,688,270, (1987), Denicola et al PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,698,848, (1987), Buckley
In a number of medical procedures it is advantageous to implant a catheter for an extended time interval, in the order of weeks, months and even years. During chemotherapy, for example, such an implant is desirable because it permits subsequent patient management on an outpatient basis. The patient returns to a medical facility for administration of the therapeutic agent through the catheter without having a needle inserted into a vein each time. Moreover, an implant makes it possible for the patient or an attendant to perform certain other procedures at home thereby reducing the number of times the patient must leave his or her residence. This is particularly advantageous when the patient is a small child.
Such implants necessitate a surgical procedure normally under general anesthesia. Typically the catheter is inserted under the skin of the chest wall and into a large vein that leads into the heart. An attendant catheter line is affixed to the catheter and must be held fast to the patient, normally by padding and tape adhered to the skin. This step is taken to assure that the patient does not dislodge the catheter by inadvertent manipulation of the catheter line.
Physicians sometimes are reluctant to use such an implant because it can impose some risk to the patient. Small children, particularly, are naturally inquisitive. Left unattended, they eventually begin playing with the catheter line, ripping the tape away from the skin causing irritation and increasing the risk of infection. Sometimes a child will open the catheter line and suffer blood loss or permit air to enter into the bloodstream. Children have been known to dislodge the catheter itself or even pull it out thereby imposing a serious medical condition, sometimes requiring another surgical procedure under unfavorable, emergency conditions.
Proposals have been made to counter this proclivity of small children to mishandle catheter lines. Early proposals included a number of restraints that inhibited a child's movement. However, these restraints have met with disfavor for obvious reasons.
The Denicola et al patent discloses a garment that differs from the general class of restraints. This garment shields an infant's head and hands from intravenous and gastrostomy lines infused into the infant during invasive therapy. A front opening vest with a series of tie tabs fully cover the trunk of an infant. Apertures in the vest allow infusion or other lines to be directed away from the child to other areas. This front opening vest fits around the neck and limbs and shields the lines below the vest from the patient's head and hands. Flaps anchor the lines to the vest to prevent the external portions of the lines from being pulled.
The Buckley patent discloses a front opening garment for adult patients with an open internal pocket for receiving a cardiac monitor or other similar device. This garment permits free patient movement with the monitor and provides a convenient method for caring such a monitor.
Both these garments are designed primarily for use in a hospital environment. For outpatient care, it still is typical for patients, particularly children who undergo this type of therapy to have the catheter line taped to their bodies. Regular cleaning and dressing procedures, required solely by this taping, are necessary to avoid skin rashes and infections. The risk still exists that a child will pull the dressing off irritating the skin area or open or dislodge the catheter, particularly if a child is unattended even for a short interval. As a result, medical personnel sometimes are reluctant to implant catheters in small children unless there is some assurance that the child will not play with the catheter thereby compounding the various risks normally associated with such implants. This generally means some assurance that the child will always be watched.